The Story of Us
by TheHerondaleGirl
Summary: Clary Fray has just received a scholarship to Shadow Academy: a boarding school in upstate New York. There, she meets the boy who lives across the hall, Jace Lightwood. He's sarcastic, arrogant, and insanely gorgeous. The two eventually become best friends. Aside from all of the sibling love, is actual love sparking? AH/AU ClaryxJace
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments.**

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**Clary POV**

"Bye, honey! See you for Thanksgiving!"

With that, my parents left me with five different bags to carry by myself. At least I have my car. I sighed as I picked up a duffel bag, and pulled the handle out of a suitcase.

I had just gotten to Shadow Academy, a renowned boarding school that was in New York. I had applied for a scholarship a few months ago, only to learn that I couldn't get to the school until October; a month after classes had began. The principal of the school didn't seem to mind though, as he had told me that I would be a fantastic addition to the art program.

I stared down at the two boxes, and a backpack that I had to carry to my dorm. The dorm I hadn't thought about finding before.

"You need some help?"

I looked to my right to see a boy who looked about my age. His hands were in the pockets of his dark jeans. He had dark brown hair that was slightly curled and overlapping his glasses.

"Uhm, yeah. I do," I said.

The boy looked at me for a moment, his stare scanning over me. His eyes grew slightly wide, and his mouth opened slightly. "Clary?"

Then, realization dawned on me. "Simon?"

I dropped my bags, and ran to his arms, engulfing him into a hug. He stumbled back a bit and laughed.

"Oh my gosh. It's been, like, three years, Simon!" I finally said after I released him.

"I know. I'm sorry I never called, or anything. I'm a terrible person," he said, hanging his head in shame.

"Yeah, you are!" I said, in between laughs.

Simon joined my laughing, and I looked at his geeky shirt. It was a Star Wars graphic. I rolled my eyes at his nerdiness.

"Anyway," I said, "do you mind showing me to dorm D?"

Simon nodded, picked up the two boxes, and waited as I slipped the backpack on my back, through the duffel bag over my shoulder, and grabbed the suitcase. Then, we started walking.

With my suitcase wheeling behind me, Simon said, "You're lucky your in dorm D. It's the best dormitory here."

"And why is that?" I asked him, smiling.

"Well, it's where my room is for one. And, everyone who lives there is pretty cool."

"I didn't realize these were co-ed dorms," I said, saying my thoughts.

"Yeah, but don't worry. If you have a roommate, they pair you up with the same gender," he explained.

I nodded as we reached a building with glass sliding doors. They opened briefly as we entered the room. Which was a hallway.

"What's the room number?" Simon asked me.

"Thirteen," I replied. "I think it's on the third floor. Well, that's what the paper said."

"It is," Simon said, leading me to an elevator, "there's only one other room occupied on the third floor."

"Oh," was all I said as we stepped into the elevator. The metal doors closed, and Simon hit a number three as he balanced the boxes on his leg.

The ride up was short. It only took a minute of comfortable silence with Simon.

"Here we are," he said as the metal doors slid open, revealing a quiet hallway. Well, not very quiet.

As we passed room 14, which just so happened to be directly across the hall from mine, loud music was blaring from its door.

I set down the suitcase, and fished around in my pocket for the room key. When I found it, I unlocked the door.

The room before me was. . .huge. It was definitely bigger than my room back home. The walls were white, and there were hardwood floors beneath my feet. In a corner, there was bed frame, and mattress already set up: My parents had it delivered before I arrived. There was a pretty large bathroom in another corner of the room as well. My parents also had my desk delivered, a dresser, and a TV.

"Woah," I said. "This room is huge."

Simon nodded his head in agreement as he set the boxes down on the floor. "Do you need any help settling in? I can stay if you want me to."

"I'm fine. But, do you think we could go grab some dinner later? My parents let me bring my car up here," I told him.

"I would love to," he said, very gentlemanly. "Shall we meet here at, let's say, five-ish?"

"Of course, Mr. Lewis," I told him, slightly giggling.

I walked him out the door to the hallway, where the music was still blaring. Simon rolled his eyes, and went over to the person's door.

"Hey, Lightwood! Turn down the music, will ya!" Simon yelled.

The music abruptly stopped. "What? You don't like my taste in music, Lewis?" A voice yelled back.

"I don't care for your music, but you have a new neighbor right across the hall. I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to listen

to it!"

There was silence. Then, the voice shouted, "Well, she's gonna have to deal with it!"

The music started again, and Simon looked annoyed. "Sorry about him. I promise he's not a jerk. Most of the time," he said.

"It's fine," I told him. "It gives me all the more reason to turn my music up louder."

I grinned as Simon laughed. "There's the Fray I love!"

"See you at five, Simon," I said after I gave him a hug. "And thanks for helping me."

"What are best friends for?"

I smiled, and headed back to my room. Just before I shut my door, I thought I heard the door to room 14 open and close. I looked back, only to find that it was in fact, closed.

I closed my door quietly, and looked around. The room needed work.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I stood back an admired my room. I was so thankful that I had remembered to bring some paint.

My room was now painted a bright lime green color. My bed was resting away from the walls, as the paint was still a bit wet. My polka dot comforter was resting on the mattress underneath at least ten pillows that would be arranged when I moved the bed against the wall.

My dresser now had the TV on it, and my clothes filled the drawers. My desk now had a lamp on it, and my laptop. The wood floor now had a lime green rug on it as well. I had old Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the room.

I sighed happily, and checked my watch to see what time it was. 3:30PM. I had to meet Simon soon, so I decided to take a quick shower in the bathroom.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I was now looking at myself in the mirror. I had thrown on a long sleeved black shirt with a scoop neck, skinny jeans, and tall combat boots. I had put eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss on as well; I wasn't going to look terrible. My red hair was curly and falling down my back.

Happy with my appearance, I walked out of the bathroom. I still heard music blaring from across the hall. _Does he ever get tired of that?_

I grabbed my phone to see that the time was 4:45PM. Simon would be here soon. I stuffed my phone in my pocket, and grabbed my car keys along with my room key.

Minutes later, someone was knocking on the door. I opened it to see Simon standing in the doorway. He smiled at me, and extended his arm.

I closed the door behind me, and locked it. I took Simon's arm in mine and he lead me to the elevator, leaving the boy across the hall to enjoy his loud music.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

Simon and I got back to the dormitory around nine. Instead of parking in the man lot, I parked my Challenger in the dorm's lot.

"If you ever need anything, Fray, call me. My room is number three on the first floor, by the way," he said before I got on the elevator.

I gave him a quick hug, and said goodbye before the elevator doors closed and took me up to the third floor.

When they opened again, the hallway has silent. Looks like that guy across the hall was done listening to music.

I unlocked the door to my room, and quickly went inside. I changed into some shorts and a tank top to sleep in. After I got ready for bed, and pushed the bed against the now dry wall, I climbed in, relieved for all of the pillows.

Before I forgot, I made sure my alarm was set for 5:30AM. After that, I fell into a sound sleep.

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**A/N: Hey! :)**

**Okay, so, I've been thinking of this plot for some time now. I really hope you stick around for this story, because it's gonna be CLACEY!**

**And, Jace will definitely be in the next chapter. I just wanted to build a foundation in the first chapter. So, yeah.**

**Please review if you want me to continue! **

**If not...I guess I won't.**

**REVIEW! :)**

**-THG**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI.**

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**Clary POV**

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I slowly opened my eyes, and took in my surroundings. I was still in my dorm room; the Christmas lights were still sparkling against the wall.

I sat up, and reached over to turn my alarm off. I stretched my arms out in front of me, and sighed. It was 5:30AM, and here I was, getting ready for a morning run.

I got up out of the bed, walking toward my dresser. I pulled out a sweatshirt - it was fall - and a pair of shorts.

After changing and freshening up a bit, I pulled my running shoes on. I also pulled my curly hair into a high ponytail. I grabbed my keys and my phone and headed out.

I quietly closed my door behind me: even though the guy across the hall wasn't being neighborly, didn't mean I couldn't be.

I stealthily walked past his door, hearing the breathy snores coming from the room.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I got back to the dorm at around 6:30AM, breathing hard and sweating a bit. I had a fairly good run this morning, and as a bonus, I got to see the entire campus.

The buildings where classes were actually held were a good distance away from dorm D. The other dorms were farther away from D, but not insanely far.

When the elevator doors opened, all I could hear was music. The guy's at it again, huh? I decided to just wait it out. By the time I took a shower and , he should be done listening to that annoying dub step-sounding music.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

After taking a shower, changing clothes, and making myself look nice, I decided to give my neighbor a little visit. You guessed it: his music was still on full blast.

I walked out of the dorm, not caring to close the door behind me, making my way to the closed wooden door across the hall.

I pounded on the door three times with my fist. "Hang on a minute, Alec! You told me you'd be here at 8," the voice said from the room.

I sighed. He thinks I'm his friend. Well, he's in for a rude awakening.

A minute later, as he said, the door was opened, and there stood a boy who looked about eighteen. He had tanned skin that looked to be over a very muscular body. His hair was golden blonde that matched his amber eyes perfectly. He was gorgeous. He was wearing a tight white shirt and jeans.

"Well. You aren't Alec," he said as he looked me up and down.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "No. And I just wanted to ask you if you could turn down the music," I said calmly.

He stared at me. "Wait," he said as if finally realizing something, "you're actually my neighbor? I thought Lewis was joking."

"Well, you thought wrong. So, if you wouldn't mind, can you keep the music down?" I asked again.

He nodded slowly, but disappeared into the room. A moment later the music was turned off. The boy returned, amusement playing in his eyes.

"Thanks," I mumbled, offering a small smile before I turned around and walked back into my room. I could feel the boy staring at me.

I closed the door behind me, and walked over to my bed. I grabbed the TV remote and turned on some random show. Then, there was a knock at my door.

Sighing, I got up and opened the door to see the boy, smiling shyly, his hand running through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he said, "about the music. I swear, I don't usually listen to that kind."

When I didn't respond, he started talking again. "I'm Jace Lightwood. Senior, football star, and the guy of your dreams." He even winked at me. The nerve of this guy.

"And I'm tired of your ego," I said, closing the door in his face. That is, until he stopped it with his hand, forcing it back open.

"Wait! Okay, okay. Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean that. Well, maybe a little bit."

I rolled my eyes. "Can I get back to watching TV now?"

"In a minute. Can we start over?" Jace asked me, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Okay," I said shutting the door.

"Wait! We didn't start over!" Jace said.

"We will. Just knock, and go from there!" I told him. I could just imagine him rolling his eyes right now.

There were three quick knocks on the door. "Just a minute!" I called out to him.

I heard him mutter what sounded like 'you've got to be kidding me.' I smiled to myself. Messing with him is really fun.

I opened the door again. "Hi," I greeted.

"Hey," he said. "I just thought I should be neighborly, and introduce myself. I'm Jace Lightwood." He held his hand out for me to shake.

"I'm Clary Fray," I replied, taking his hand.

I couldn't help but feel some sort of warmth jolt through me when we touched. I looked up to meet Jace's eyes, but he was unreadable.

"Well, it was nice finally meeting you," I told him as I took my hand away.

"You too," he said softly. "Uhm, I should get going. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, definitely," I told him. "Bye."

He smiled as I quietly closed the door.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

**Jace POV**

"Jace, are you even listening to me?"

I looked up at my adoptive brother, Alec Lightwood. He sat next to his sister, Isabelle Lightwood. They were twins. Both had ink black hair, and stunning eyes.

"What? Oh, yeah. I heard every word," I said, taking a drink of the coffee that sat in front of me.

"Good. So, you know that Kaelie just walked in," Isabelle stated.

"And that she's coming over here," finished Alec.

"What!?" I whisper yelled.

I looked behind me to see one of my many swooning fangirls making her way over to our table in the on-campus café.

Don't get me wrong, girls are great. Just not overly obsessed freaks like Kaelie Matthews.

"Hey, Jacey!" Kaelie squeaked when she reached the table.

"Hi, Kaelie," I sighed.

"Mmm, whatcha drinkin'?" She asked me.

The girl didn't even wait for an answer because she picked up my cup, and chugged my coffee. When she was done, she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Woah. You have a great taste in coffee," she swooned.

"Well, I'm gonna get going," I stated, standing suddenly. Kaelie shrieked as she toppled over in the booth. Alec and Isabelle were trying not to laugh, but they were failing at it. "Bye, Alec, Izzy. Kaelie."

"Bye, Jacey!"

"Yeah, bye, Jacey," Alec cooed to me.

I rolled my eyes, and stalked out of the café.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

The elevator door opened on the third floor, and as soon as it did, my phone was vibrating. I took it out, saw that it was from Alec, and began to reply.

Obviously, I wasn't watching where I was going, and I didn't realize that Clary was coming down the hall as well. So, when she ran into me, splashing a drink in my face in the process, I was surprised.

Clary fell to the floor, and I stood there phone in hand, kind of shocked. Then, I put my hand out, wanting to help her up. She smiled sheepishly at me, but took my hand. There was that spark again.

I felt it earlier, but I didn't make anything of it. Now, I'm getting kind of suspicious.

Once Clary was standing, she noticed that I was drenched in ice tea. "Ugh, I'm so sorry! Here, let me get a towel."

She ran over to her dorm, unlocked the door, and went in. I followed her, standing in the doorway of her room. I could see lights hanging from the wall, and I also noticed that the room was painted lime green. She was a hard worker from the looks of things.

Clary emerged in the doorway a second later, a towel in hand. "I am such a klutz. I'm really sorry."

I laughed lightly as Clary started to rub the brown liquid off of my shirt. "It's no big deal, Clary." Wow. Her name rolled of my tongue so easily. I liked it.

"Well, it is to me. I mean, I just got here and I've already done something stupid," she told me, not looking up from the stain. "I can wash it if you want me to."

"I knew it," I smirked. "You just want to see me without a shirt on. You could've asked, you know."

Clary scoffed, but turned a bright pink. "As if," she said. "I was just trying to be friendly."

"I was kidding," I said, laughing softly. "And, really. I can wash it myself."

"Okay," Clary said, pulling away from my shirt.

"If you want me to show you around campus today, I can. I don't want you to be lost on your first day," I said at my attempt to act nicer.

"You wouldn't mind?" I shook my head. "That sounds great. Thanks."

"Cool. Wanna start the tour at three?"

Clary nodded. "Sounds good. And I really am sorry about your shirt," she said, looking worried.

"I told you, it's fine. So, I will see you at three," I said as I walked into my room.

Good, I'm making a new friend. But, why does it feel like she shouldn't be just a friend?

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**A/N: JACE.**

**Can I just say, that if Jace Wayland Herondale Lightwood Morgenstern was a real person, every girl would swoon and worship him? Oh wait, we do that already? My bad.**

**FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE NEW MOVIE TRAILER COMES OUT! EEEEK! : )**

**Okay, well, I hope ya liked this chappie!**

**REVIEW! : )**

**-THG**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI.**

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**Clary POV**

Three o'clock couldn't have come sooner. I had been overly excited and nervous to see Jace again. He was acting really nice, but he was probably trying to make up for the loud music thing.

When he knocked on my door, I shot up off of the bed to greet him. I opened the door to see Jace wearing a black leather jacket and jeans. His hair looked slightly damp; he probably took a shower.

"Hey," he greeted. "Ready to go?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

After locking the door, I followed Jace to the elevator. We waited patiently for it to come up.

When it did, we both stepped inside. Jace pressed the '1' button, and the doors slid shut.

"So," he started, "do you want to go anywhere specific to start the tour?"

"Yeah. Could we go to school buildings first? I kinda wanna see how far I'll have to walk in the morning," I said.

"Sounds like a plan," Jace said as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and we stepped out.

We walked past the sliding glass doors, into the cold October air. I stuffed my hands in my coat pockets in an attempt to get warmer, but it didn't really help.

I shrugged it off so I didn't look like a complete wimp in front of Jace. I mean, he's a tall, gorgeous, football star. Do you want me to be embarrassed more?

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

"And that's pretty much it for the school buildings," Jace told me as we walked away from the red bricked buildings.

"What time do you usually leave for classes in the morning?" I asked him.

"I usually head out at 7. But I usually get a coffee on my way," he said.

"Wait. There's a café here?" I instantly perked up at the thought of coffee.

Jace laughed. "Uhm, yeah. Wanna go grab something to eat?"

"Sure," I said. "This place is getting better by the minute."

Jace led me to a small shop next to the main parking lot. He held the door open for me, and I went through, smiling my thanks. A whiff of breads, coffee, and sugar entered my nose as soon as I stepped through.

Like a kid in a candy store, I walked - more like bounced - over to the counter. Jace followed me.

"Hi, can I help you two?" the woman at the counter asked.

"Yeah. I'd like a mango smoothie please," I told her.

She nodded, tapped my order into the computer, and looked back at Jace. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and then put a flirtatious smile on.

"And for you, sir?" she purred. I almost gagged.

"I'll take a mango smoothie, too," he said, giving the girl a small smile.

"Is that all?" We both nodded. "Your total comes out to $4.76," the girl told us.

I reached into my pocket for a five dollar bill. I found it and handed it to the girl. "Here you go. And keep the change." She nodded, putting the money into the register.

"Clary, I could've paid," Jace whispered to me.

"It's the least I could do. You remember me spilling my iced tea all over you," I whispered back.

He sighed. "Fine. But I owe you."

Moments later, our drinks were handed to us, and we found a table. Well, not before the cashier gave Jace her number. I rolled my eyes at her persistence.

"Tell me about yourself," Jace said when he sat down across from me.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything. I just want to know you," he shrugged.

"Okay," I said. "I'm eighteen, a senior, and I've lived in New York City my whole life. I live with my mom and stepdad - they really don't want me around anymore."

"What do you mean?" Jace asked me, taking a sip from the smoothie.

"Well. They just want to me to go to college as soon as possible. So, when I received the scholarship to come here, they couldn't wait to get me out of the house," I said. I took a drink of my smoothie as well.

"So," I started, "what about you?"

Jace looked up at me, his amber eyes shining. "What about me?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"If you insist," he sighed. "I am also eighteen, a senior, and I have lived in New York City for ten years. The other eight I've lived in California. Oh, and I'm adopted."

"Do you mind me asking why you were adopted?"

"Not at all. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was eight," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Jace," I said, reaching over the table to grab his hand. He smiled at me.

"It's fine. It's the past now," he said. "I'm sorry I'm such a downer."

"You are not a downer," I told him. "Oh, and just out of curiosity, do girls always throw themselves at you?"

"Pretty much," he said. "Except for you. You're different from other girls." I gave him a questionable look. "In a good way."

"Well, I'm glad I'm different," I told him as I finished of my smoothie.

"I like different," Jace added, smiling at me. "Ready to head back?"

I nodded as I stood up. Jace reached around in his pocket until he pulled out a piece of paper. "Won't be needing this," he told me as he threw away the girl's phone number.

I'm not sure why, but something inside of me was relieved when he did so.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

**Jace POV**

"So, wanna walk together tomorrow morning?" I asked Clary as we stepped out of the elevator.

"Yeah, definitely," she replied smiling.

"Great. I'll get you at 7?"

"Sounds good," she told me as we stopped outside of our doors. Clary looked at me with her beautiful, green eyes. "Thank you for showing me around today."

I shrugged. "No problem."

"Well, I'll see you in the morning," Clary said as she unlocked her door.

"See you then. Bye," I said as I stepped through my own doorway.

I closed the door as Clary did. Man, that girl is amazing. She's funny, smart, beautiful; everything a guy could want.

But, I felt like I couldn't be more than friends with her. . .

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I knocked several times on her door at seven. I was wearing a tight black shirt and nice-fitting jeans. This kind of outfit always made the girls swoon at my feet.

The door opened a moment later to reveal a gorgeous Clary. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail, and she was wearing a mint green sweater with skinny jeans.

"Good morning. Ready to go?" I asked her.

"Morning, and yeah. I'm ready," she told me.

Then, we headed out. We stopped at the café again, where I bought Clary and myself coffee. She protested that I should let her buy her own, but I kind of ignored her. She was really adorable when she was mad.

We started off toward the school, and got there at 7:15. Fifteen minutes to go.

"Hey, can I see your schedule?" I asked Clary before we walked in.

She nodded and handed me the piece of paper with her unoccupied hand. She took a drink of her coffee from her nervousness.

"Woah. You have the exact same classes as me," I told her in pure amazement and happiness. "Are you sure you're not stalking me?"

Clary rolled her eyes, but seemed pretty relieved. "Do you think you could show me to my classes?"

"Of course," I said smiling. She smiled back, but at that moment the warning bell rang. "Come on." I grabbed Clary's hand, and darted for the building.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I've been showing Clary where her classes are all day. I didn't mind; I liked spending time with her.

Right now, it was lunch. I sat with my friend Simon Lewis, Alec, and Isabelle while we waited for Clary. She had to go talk to one of her teachers about something.

"You guys know that new girl Clary?" I asked. They all nodded. "I think I'm gonna ask her out."

Simon almost choked on his water. "Woah. You can't do that," he sputtered.

"What? Why not?" I asked him.

"Didn't she tell you? She has a boyfriend," he said.

"How do you know that? She just got here two days ago."

"Clary and I have been best friends since we were five. I ate dinner with her last night to catch up, and she told me," Simon said.

My heart sank. "Oh."

"Wow. You seem really disappointed," Izzy said. "She must be really special."

"Yeah. She's just. . .different," I told her. "Well, even if I can't ask her out, that doesn't mean I can't be her friend."

"That's the spirit. Oh, look. Here she comes now," Simon pointed out.

He waved her over to our table, and a faked a smile. I better forget these feelings I have for her now. There won't be a chance for us to be together.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted us as she sat down next to me.

"Hi, I'm Isabelle Lightwood. And this is my brother, Alec," Izzy told her.

"I'm Clary," she said.

"We know. We've heard so much about you already. These two won't shut up about you," Alec chimed in.

"Oh, there's Magnus, Alec. Looking sparkly as ever," Simon said.

We all turned just in time to see Alec's boyfriend, Magnus approaching our table. He was dressed in a bright blue shirt, tight pants, and lace up boots. His hair was spiked and had glitter shining on top.

"Hello, darling," Magnus said to Alec as he gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then, he noticed Clary. "And who is this?"

"This is Clary Fray. She's new," Simon said. Clary smiled at him.

"Hello, Clary. I am Magnus Bane, Alec's boyfriend," he greeted.

"Nice to meet you," Clary said.

While everyone was engaged in conversation, Clary leaned over to me. "So, Alec is. . ."

"Gay? Yeah. Never would've guessed it, huh?" I whispered back.

"No. Well, maybe Magnus," she said.

I laughed lightly. "We all guessed Magnus was when we met him. But, I have nothing against gay people. I just thought Magnus was very obvious," I told her.

"Yeah. Same here," she said, laughing.

Maybe I could be _just_ her friend. . .

* * *

**A/N: Aww. Poor Jace.**

**How did ya like it? I think I'm loving this story so far! I love writing this "forbidden" love. So fun.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love to hear (well read) what you think of this! Should I keep writing...?**

**REVIEW! : )**

**-THG**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI.**

* * *

**Clary POV**

"I hate math!" I say while covering my head with a pillow.

"We all do, Clary," Jace told me as he laughed.

I smiled underneath the pillow. Jace has been hanging out with me the whole week. He walks with me to class every morning, during the day, and he walks me back to the dorm. Then, we either go to his room or mine to work on homework. We've become really good friends over the past week.

I threw the pillow at him. "Well, do something about it!"

"You want me to get rid of math? Please, Clary. Enlighten me," he says, smiling a toothy grin.

"No. I want you to make me not. . .bored," I sigh.

"What should I do then?"

"Uhm, sing?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, give me a song then."

"Something Justin Bieber," I told him, laughing.

"Are you kidding? You actually like him?" He seemed very disturbed.

"No! I just want to hear you sing one of his songs. Is that a crime?" I asked him, laying on my bed.

"Yes, it is. But since I'm such an amazing person, I will grace you with my singing. Just this once, okay?" He said.

I nodded from my position on the bed. Jace cleared his throat for what seemed like five minute. I rolled my eyes at him, and he just smiled.

Then, in a very melodic voice, he started to sing:

_You know you love me, I know you care_

_Just shout whenever, and I'll be there_

_You are my love, you are my heart_

_And we will never ever ever be apart_

Jace had laid down next to me, still singing, but he looked me in the eyes. I was laughing at his song choice, but I went with it.

_Are we an item? Girl, quit playing_

_We're just friends, what are you saying?_

_Say there's another and look right in my eyes_

_My first love broke my heart for the first time_

_And I was like..._

By this point, I had joined in. Here we were, two eighteen year olds singing Justin Bieber. Doesn't get any better than that.

_Baby, baby, baby oooh_

_Like baby, baby, baby nooo_

_Like baby, baby, baby oooh_

_I thought you'd always be mine_

Jace stopped singing and rolled over so he was on top of me. His eyes were shining with mischief. His hands were on either side of my head, balancing himself. We were only inches apart.

"You have a lovely voice, Clary," he whispered.

"Yours isn't too bad," I teased, smiling up at him.

"Oh, come on. My voice could have hundreds of girls worshiping me as we speak. Oh, wait. They already do," he smirked.

"There's that ego. But, really. Your voice is amazing," I said.

"Thanks. I knew you worshiped me," Jace teased.

Just then, my phone started ringing. Have jumped up from the rather compromising position we were in. I sat up, and reached for my phone.

I smiled when I saw who was calling. "Hello?"

"Hey, Clary," came his voice. "I just wanted you to look out your window."

"What? Why?" I got up from the bed and carefully walked over to the window. I looked down, and standing there, phone to his ear, was my boyfriend.

"Oh my gosh! I'll be right down!" I screeched.

I hung up the phone, and threw it on the bed. Jace looked at me questionably.

"I'll explain later!" I gave him a quick hug, and ran out the door.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

**Jace POV**

After Clary ran out the door, I walked over to the window to see what she had been looking at. I saw as Clary ran out the sliding doors and ran into a boy's arms.

He picked her up and spun her around in the air. When he set her down, he kissed her very tenderly. Her arms are wrapped around his neck, and his were wrapped around her waist.

Something was boiling inside of me. I didn't like the looks of this guy, even though I've just seen him. But, my past feeling to ask her out was behind me. The feeling now must be envy that I may not be in her life as often anymore.

Clary had broken free of the guy's hold on her, and was dragging him toward the building.

She was bringing him up here. I moved around, you know, so it didn't look like I was a stalker. Which I certainly am not. I was only curious.

"Jace? I want you to meet somebody!" she called from the hallway: her door was still open.

A moment later, Clary and the guy came into the room. She was smiling, and her bright red hair was wind blown around her face.

"This is my boyfriend, Sebastian. Sebastian, this is my friend, Jace," Clary said.

Sebastian extended a hand and I shook it, but I couldn't help but notice how cold it was. His eyes were a dark, dark color; almost black. His hair was black as well, and the menacing look on his face made me uneasy.

"Nice to meet you," I said, putting a smile on my face.

The guy - Sebastian - made a weird face of distrust and confusion. He covered by smiling warmly, saying, "You, too."

"Oh, darn. I dropped my keys outside. I'll be right back," Clary told us as she darted out the door.

Sebastian turned to me, so I took this opportunity to question him. "So, Sebastian. How long have you been dating Clary?"

Sebastian's eyes grew cold as he grabbed me, and slammed me against the wall near Clary's dresser. He pressed his forearm against my neck, making me stay in this position. He leaned into me, a very menacing look on his face.

"Listen, pretty boy," he started, his jaw clenched.

"Why, thank you. At least now I know you think I'm pretty," I deadpanned to him. I should've fought back, but I didn't want to get blood on Clary's floor. I'm just that nice.

"Shut up!" He slammed his fist against the green wall. "You stay away from Clary. She's. Mine."

"Possessive much? Look, man. We're just friends," I told him.

"That's not what it sounds like," Sebastian said very ominously. His arm still hasn't left my neck.

"What are you talking about? And could you please remove your arm. I'm quite uncomfortable." He did as I asked, but stayed put, leaving me pressed up against the wall.

"You. And Clary. That's all she ever talks about when she calls me. 'Jace is hilarious.' 'Jace is so gorgeous.' I'm sick of it," he says.

"Wait. Why would Clary tell you, her boyfriend, that me, her friend, is gorgeous?" I asked, not believing that Clary would say something like that to him.

"Well, maybe she didn't. . ." Sebastian looked away from me. Was that a little blush on his cheeks?

Awkward.

"That doesn't mean you can just hang out with her whenever you want. It's weird. She can't have a boyfriend and a guy best friend. It's stupid," he told me, looking back at me.

"Are you telling me to ignore her? To avoid her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Got it?"

I decided to step closer to him, make myself seem a bit more menacing. "And what're you gonna do if I don't listen to you?"

"Let's just say that your handsome little face won't look to good when I'm done with you," he said very calmly.

What is up with him and calling me attractive? Flattering, but creepy.

"Fine. I'll leave her alone," I said. There was no point in arguing.

"Good," Sebastian said as he walked away from me and sat on the bed. "Oh, and, don't say anything about this to Clary."

I nodded, and made my way out the door. But, I did glance back, only to find Sebastian staring at me. Eh. Checking me out. Can't blame him.

I walked into the hall, and ran into Clary. "Jace, where are you going?"

I didn't answer her, I just walked into my room, and slammed the door behind me.

Clary started pounding on the door. "Jace! Open the door. What's wrong?"

I heard Sebastian laugh darkly. "Babe, don't waste your breath. He's a jerk. Let it go."

"Don't call him a jerk," I heard Clary whisper.

I walked over to my bed, and lazily flopped on it. Since when did I care so much?

* * *

**A/N: So, yeah.**

**Sebastian was checking Jace out, and complimenting him on his looks. Nothing weird about that...**

**I CAN FANTASIZE, CAN'T I?**

**Sorry.**

**Okay, so thank you so much for reviewing, following, etc. It means a lot!**

**And, I just want to tell you, I read every review I get it! So, questions, problems, concerns: let me know. **

**(I sounded like one of those signs on the drive-thru window of McDonalds...)**

**REVIEW! :)**

**-THG**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: Me owning TMI is as likely as Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey getting along. That's right. American Idol reference.**

* * *

**Clary POV**

I had heard everything.

Sebastian was - is - a jerk. How dare he? He can't just threaten Jace like that, and not expect me to do anything. He doesn't own me. What an idiot.

"So, did you find your keys?" Sebastian asked me when I walked back into my room.

"Yeah, I did," I told him. I did find them, but they were right outside of the elevator. That's why I heard the whole conversation.

"What did you and Jace talk about? He seemed pretty upset," I said, refusing to sit next to him. Remind me to burn those sheets later.

"Oh, you know. Foot...hockey? Yeah, foot hockey. That's it," he said uncertainly.

"Uhm. What's foot hockey?" I asked, knowing that's he's just going to make up stuff until I agreed with him.

"Oh, it's this great new...game. Combines football and hockey. Great stuff," he said, tugging at his collar.

"Really? Let's go play. They have an awesome gym here!" I tried to sound excited.

"Maybe some other time," Sebastian snapped.

I decided to play with him a little. He did make Jace uncomfortable after all. Well, he also complimented him. A lot. Weird.

"Seb?" I walked over to him slowly. I was wearing a button down shirt, so, trying to be "seductive", I unbuttoned the top two buttons.

"Hmm?" He looked up at me, well, my "shirt", and smiled.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?" I asked him very softly.

"I don't know if you have."

"Well, you are. But, not as gorgeous as Jace. I mean, have you seen his eyes? To die for," I told him.

"Why would you say that? I'm your boyfriend!" Sebastian was getting mad now.

"Why would you threaten him? He's just my friend!"

"Because you don't need friends! You have me!" he yelled.

I rolled my eyes. "You can't control my life, jerk!"

"I'm the jerk? You're the jerk! All you ever do is yell at me!" He was standing over me now.

"Because you don't care about me! You're a conceited, arrogant idiot!"

Sebastian raised his hand, and his eyes grew dark. He was going to hit me. Well, he was until a voice sounded from the doorway. I forgot to close the door.

Oops.

"Put your hand down, Sebastian," he said.

I turned around to see Jace in the doorways, his eyes shining with anger.

"What are you going to do about it?" Sebastian asked him.

"I could call the police. I could beat you up. Or, you can leave now, and leave Clary alone," he said in a deathly calm voice.

Sebastian didn't say anything after that. He just looked at Jace with cold eyes. Then, he started walking toward the door, saying, "We're done, Clary." He left.

I looked over at Jace, who was still standing in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with his eyes shut. His arms were crossed over his chest.

I walked over to him. Then, I wrapped my arms around his waist. He went stiff for a moment, but wrapped his own arms around me. I buried my face into his shirt, and let a few tears fall.

Jace started rubbing my back affectionately as he rested his chin on my head. I realized that we haven't really been this raw with each other. Well, it has only been a week. But, it feels like I've already known him for years.

I pulled back from him, wiping my wet face off with my fingers. I let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Jace said quietly.

"Wanna watch a movie, or something? You know, to get our minds off of...that?" I asked him.

He nodded, and we walked over to my bed. I used most of the pillows as a back for the "couch" part of my bed. It was actually pretty comfortable.

Jace sat a good foot away from me, which I didn't mind of course. He was just being polite.

We started watching Cars - it was on Disney Channel, okay? - when he asked me something.

"You heard that conversation, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Jace said nothing else. He just sat with me, and watched the movie in silence. It wasn't and awkward silence; it was a much needed silence.

I stole a look at Jace, who's eyes were closed and head leaning back. He wasn't sleeping; I've heard him snoring before. He's definitely not sleeping.

"Jace?" I asked in a quiet voice that belonged to a nine year old.

"Mmm?"

"Thank you," I said. "No one's ever stood up for me like that."

Jace opened his eyes a little bit, and smiled a little bit. "It's no big deal."

We stared at each other for a moment, when I realized Jace's eyes were looking down. Then, I realized that I unbuttoned my shirt earlier. He was getting a full, erm, view.

We both turned away, slightly embarrassed by what just happened.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

It was Saturday morning, and as usual, I was running. Although today, it was very warm outside for October. It was 6:20AM and almost 70 degrees. Global warming, and all that.

I was dressed in a sports bra and tight shorts. Yeah, I know. Revealing much? Well, sure, but I was taking advantage of the weather today. I was planning to run two miles. Only making a stop at the dorms for water. Then, I was to join Magnus, Simon, Alec, Isabelle, and Jace for breakfast at 9AM.

My hair was pulled into a tight high ponytail on the top of my head. With each stride, it moved freely from side to side. I could feel a little sweat on my forehead, but not too much.

I was really attempting to get the whole incident that happened the night before off of my mind. I was trying to forget about Sebastian. But how he was going to hit was still fresh in my mind.

A sudden breeze allowed goosebumps to travel up my arms. I ran a little bit faster, trying to warm up again. Another breeze hit my face, but it was a but more refreshing.

I decided to take a break and walk for a little while. My breaths were fast, but steady.

Around me, trees were turning different shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown. The colors of autumn. Some leaves were already falling off the trees, making it seem like winter was coming soon.

The dorm was looming ahead of me once more. I had run in a circle, so I could get some water.

I jogged over to the building, walked through the glass doors, and went into the elevator. There was water in my room that I had left out.

Once on the third floor, I went to my room, which was unlocked: I couldn't carry my keys with me if I didn't have pockets.

I quickly grabbed a water bottle after closing the door. I took a few drinks of water, and soon, I was ready for another mile.

Quickly checking the time: 7AM. I was making good time.

I left the room once more, but when I walked out, Jace was leaving his room as well.

He was wearing a sleeveless white shirt which definitely showed off his biceps, and all other arm muscles. He had on basketball shorts and tennis shoes.

"Oh, hey," I said as I closed my door behind me.

"Hey. What're you doing up?" he asked.

"I'm going running. You?"

"Same."

I nodded, and walked with him to the elevator. When the doors opened, I pressed the 'one' button as Jace stepped in.

"So," he said, running a hand through his blonde hair, "I guess this means we're running buddies."

"What makes you think that?" I asked him, a smile on my face.

"Well, we're both going running at the same time. And, obviously, this is a sign from the universe."

"The universe wants us to be running buddies?"

"Exactly."

"Can't argue with that logic."

The elevator doors opened again, and we walked out into the warm air. I started to quicken my pace, as did Jace.

We ran in silence, but it wasn't bad. Just full of panting and sweating. Pretty normal, right?

We were making great time; we were already halfway to the dorms again. My legs started to hurt, but I pushed through it. I've been running every morning for years; this shouldn't be any different.

We came closer and closer to the dorm. Jace was a hard runner, I'll give him that. I felt like I should mess with a little, though.

As the cool breeze hit my face again, I slid behind Jace. He looked back at me to give a confused look, but I just shrugged.

"Clary? You okay?" he asked me as he slowed his running down a bit.

"Just fine. But, my legs are getting a bit tired," I told him. It wasn't a lie. "Would you mind giving me a piggyback ride?"

"And why should I do that?" He looked at me mockingly.

"Because I'm tired!" I whined.

He rolled his eyes, but stopped running and bent down. "Fine. Hop on."

I smiled at him, and hopped on his back, wrapped my arms around his neck, but I didn't hold on too tight. His arms took hold of my smooth and shaven legs. He started to walk again once we were situated.

"You okay?" I asked him, holding in a laugh.

"Peachy," he replied. "Although, for some reason, I feel like I'm being groped by a monkey..."

"What?" Now, I laughed. "You think I'm groping you?"

"No, I think the monkey demon that possessed you is," he dead panned. It was like this is a normal topic.

He started to slow down again, so, as one arm remained loosely around his neck, I raised the other arm in the air.

"MUSH!" I yelled.

"Sheesh, woman, fine. No need for the yelling," he muttered.

I smiled to myself, knowing that he's enjoying the "demon monkey" side of me.

* * *

**A/N: Is that even how you spell 'mush'?**

**Mouche? Muhsh? Mosh? **

**I give up.**

**Okay, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! This is really fun to write, trust me.**

**I LOVE ALL THE REVIEWSS! Just sayin'. ;D**

**REVIEW!**

**-THG**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own TMI.**

* * *

**Clary POV**

"Hey, guys," I said as I sat down in the booth at the café. Jace slid in next to me.

Simon, Izzy, Magnus, and Alec were all in the large corner booth as well. They each had a drink in front of them, an seemed to be waiting for their food to come out.

"Hey, Clary. Hey, Jace," Simon greeted us as everyone else smiled.

"So, let's talk about Halloween. Or, more importantly, the dance! What are we going to dress up as?" Isabelle asked, her voice rising with excitement.

"This place has a Halloween dance?" I asked.

"Yeah! It's really fun! Everyone dresses up in costumes," Isabelle explained.

"That sounds fun," I said. Although, in reality, I hate school dances.

"Fun? Clary, come on. I've known you forever. You hate school dances," Simon lectured.

"Pfft. I do not," I lied.

"Really? Okay. So, you don't remember that time in ninth grade when Brad asked you to go with him to the formal?" he questioned me.

"Yeah, I remember. So?"

"You said, and I quote, "Brad is sooo dreamy. Too bad the formal is stupid and a waste of time." Then, you turned him down," Simon teased.

"Well, who cares?" I was getting slightly embarrassed. It didn't help that Alec, Izzy, and Magnus were trying to hold back their laughter.

"I do. Tons of guys wanted to go with you. You turned them all down!"

"You came here your sophomore year. How do you know I didn't go then?" I asked him.

"I don't know..."

"How do you think I met Sebastian? Yeah, he asked me to the formal. What now, Simon?"

"That doesn't mean you like dances!" he accused.

"Fine. I don't like dances. End of discussion," I told him.

He just smiled at me while everyone gave us confused looks. I ignored them though, and began texting my friend Maia.

"Well, putting that aside. Clary, do you want coffee, or a mango smoothie?" Jace asked me.

"Surprise me," I replied.

He laughed, and stood up, making his way to the counter. I looked at the others who were all giving me strange looks.

"What?" I asked cautiously.

"Nothing!" they all said simultaneously.

"Okay..." Weirdos.

We sat for a minute or two, me on my phone, texting away, and the others making small talk. Maia was asking me questions about the school.

**Maia: So, what's it like?**

_Me: Pretty good. Have awesome friends._

**Maia: Not as amazing as me. ;)**

_Me: Very true!_

**Maia: So...any cute guys? :) **

_Me: Not really..._

**Maia: LIAR!**

_Me: Fine, jeez. No need for caps lock... But, yeah. There are a few guys..._

**Maia: One in particular?**

_Me: Yeah, but I'll tell you more later, k?_

**Maia: Ok :(**

_Me: So, how are you and Jordan? Did he ask you out yet?_

**Maia: YES! Oh my gosh...he's amazing.**

_Me: FINALLY! Ugh, I've been ranting to him about that for a year now!_

**Maia: ...What?**

_Me: Can I call you later to explain? :/_

**Maia: Okay! Gtg, later!**

I sighed, and looked back up to the group who were now staring toward the counter. Intrigued by what they were looking at, I turned to see Jace. But he wasn't alone.

Jace was leaning against the counter, our drinks next to him. He was talking to a girl with dark brown hair. She's about the same height as me, give or take an inch. Her back was turned to me, so I couldn't see her face.

Jace was smiling, laughing here and there at the girl. The girl seemed to be laughing with him; you could see her shoulders shake.

"Wow. I haven't seen Jace flirt like that in a while," Alec said quietly.

"I know," Simon muttered.

"Wait. Is that chick who I think it is?" Isabelle whispers intensely.

"Oh. That's Aline," Magnus confirms.

"What is he doing? He hates Aline!" Isabelle whispers again.

"Wait," I say, turning back to face the others, "Who is she?"

They all look at each other, an annoyed look tinting everyone's faces. Finally, Simon speaks up.

"She flirts with everyone. And, when she's actually in a relationship, she's not in it for love-"

"She's just in it for a good time," Magnus finishes.

I nod in understanding. I turn back to Aline and Jace again. They're still talking. For some reason, I don't like it.

Then, Jace makes eyes contact with me, and his smile falters. He says something to Aline, and she nods. She stands on her toes and pecks Jace on the cheek. He smiles after her before he comes back to the table.

"Sorry about that. And here is your smoothie, milady," Jace says setting down the drink in front of me.

"Thanks," I mumble.

The others were giving Jace shocked looks, which only made him uncomfortable.

"What did I do?" he eventually asked, his voice slightly irritated. Jace sank back into the booth, and closed his eyes.

"What did you do? You just made googly eyes at Aline Penhallow!" Isabelle yelled in an angry but hushed tone. We were in a public place, so we best not draw attention to ourselves.

"Googly eyes? Hardly," Jace said, reopening his eyes.

"Oh, sorry," Magnus said. "She meant to say you were undressing her with your eyes!"

"I was not!" Jace tried to defend himself.

"So, when's the date?" Alec piped in.

"Tonight at eight. But, that is irrelevant to the situation," Jace said quickly.

"Since when did you like her?" Isabelle asked him.

"I don't know," Jace sighed. "She just seemed really cool today. So, I asked her out. Is that bad?"

Isabelle scoffed but didn't say anything. In fact, no one said anything. It was making me kind of uncomfortable. I also remembered that I had to call Maia, so I took this as an opportunity to leave.

"Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you guys. I have to go call someone, so..." I trailed off, hoping Jace would understand to get up. He got the message and stood, giving me a chance to leave.

Before I left, I gave Jace a five dollar bill for the drinks. Jace looked at me questionably, but I ignored it, and walked out of the cafe.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

"Hey, Clary!"

I had called Maia, and put her on speaker. I was now in my dorm room, laying on my back, staring at the ceiling above my bed.

"Hey! Is Jordan there? I thought I heard a guys' voice," I said.

"Yeah, I'm here Clary," Jordan Kyle said into the phone. "Put it on speaker, babe."

"Okay," Maia said. "So, Clary. Spill."

I knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. "Fine. But, we're just friends. In fact, he has a date tonight."

"WITH YOU?" Maia asked.

"No! Gosh, Maia. It's with some other girl," I told her. "But, anyways, he's really tall-"

"Everyone is taller than you, Clary," Jordan sighed through phone.

"Shut up," I mumbled. He only laughed. "As I was saying, he is cute. Like, very."

"Ooh. I can't wait to meet him! What about you Jordan?" Maia asked.

"Why am I involved in this conversation?" Jordan said through the phone. Maia and I laughed at him.

"Wait. You guys are coming here? When?" I was excited now. I love Jordan and Maia; they're like my brother and sister.

"We were thinking tomorrow. It was gonna be a surprise..."

"I can't wait to see you guys! How long are you going to be here?"

"Until five or so. Is that okay?" Jordan answered.

"It's great! Ugh, I miss you guys!" I told them.

"We miss you, too. We have to go!" Maia said.

"What? Got a hot date or something?" I teased the couple.

"Actually, yes," Jordan admitted.

I heard some strange noises on their line, and I got kind of grossed out. "Okay! I get it! Go make out!"

"Bye, Clary! Love you!" They told me before the line went dead.

I turned my phone off, and got up off of the bed. It was only ten thirty, and I had a whole day ahead of me. Remembering that my car was parked in the lot, I decided to go for a drive.

I grabbed my keys and phone, an headed out the door.

-(•.•-) -(•.•)- (-•.•)-

I was driving to...nowhere. I just felt like I should really get away. I didn't want to be in that school campus all the time.

My radio was playing a local hits station, and I was silently singing along. Then, my phone rang. Because my car had a Bluetooth hookup, I pressed answer call, talking to the person on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Clary." It was Jace.

My heart fluttered as he said my name. "Hey, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay. You seemed kid of uncomfortable at breakfast," he said.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just needed to call my friends," I told him.

"Oh, okay. Uhm. Where are you?" he asked.

"I just wanted to go for a drive. Why?"

"I was gonna see if you wanted to hang out, or something," he muttered.

"Oh. Well, I'm only five minutes away from campus. Want me to come back and get you?" I asked him.

"Yeah. We should go do something. I know a few places in town," Jace said.

"Alright. I'm turning around now. Meet me in the lot," I told him.

"Got it. See ya in a few," he said.

I hung up the phone, and sighed. I'm so confused about why Jace would go out with someone he hates, but I don't really care. We are just friends after all.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, sort of a filler. And I am SO sorry about how late this is. I've been very busy! :)**

**I promise that this will pick up soon. I'm just building it up. ;)**

**QUESTION TIME: Do you know any cheesy pick up lines?**

**Ex.: You can call me Nemo cause I'm not afraid to touch the butt.**

**Yeah, so, if you have any pick up lines, please tell me in a review! I'll pick out a few to be featured next time!**

**REVIEW! :D**

**-THG**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I shall not ever own TMI.**

* * *

**Clary POV**

Jace and I did hang out all of Saturday. He took me to a movie, then a bowling alley - where I beat him in our game - and finally, he took me to an ice cream shop.

We ended up throwing ice cream at each other, and thrown out of the store. We kind of hit the manager in the head with some chocolate sprinkles...

The whole time felt like a date. I wished it actually was. Obviously it wasn't. He went to his actual date with Aline later that night.

I guess it's safe to say that I've developed a major crush on Jace. But I know we will never be anything more than friends.

"Earth to Clary! Have you even been listening?"

I snapped out of my reverie to look at my two best friends, Jordan and Maia, sitting across from me.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry," I apologized.

Maia huffed. "So anyway. Jordan took me to a very fancy restaurant for dinner last night."

"Oohh. Jordan, I didn't know you had money," I teased. Maia giggled.

"Neither did I! He pulled out his wallet and BAM! Huge wad of cash," she told me.

"Okay. I maybe got a job. No biggie," Jordan says.

"Jordan. And a job. I'm not believing this," I say.

Jordan sighs. "I work at a law firm. You know, since I'm in early admissions?"

"Aww! I'm so proud of my Jordie!" I leaned over and ruffled his hair. He grimaced at me.

Maia began to yawn. "Ugh. Clary can I take a nap? I'm really tired. You and Jordan can go wherever, just lemme sleep," she said, already lying face down on my bed.

Jordan and I laughed, but stood up. "Alright, Maia. I'll show Jordan around."

Maia rolled over and gave Jordan a kiss. I smiled at the two. I was so happy that they were finally together. It had taken me years to get them to admit their feelings for each other.

Jordan and I left a sleeping Maia, so we could catch up.

(•.•)(•.•)(•.•)

Jordan had wrapped his arm around my shoulders, like he always did, as we walked down the sidewalk.

"I really am proud of you, Jordan," I said.

"For what?"

"For getting a job. And confessing your love to Maia." I smiled at him, and wrapped my arm around his waist.

"Thanks. But you're the reason we're together. I mean, you practically devoted your existence to getting us together."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty amazing, huh?"

He laughed this time. "Well..."

"Hey!" I playfully shoved him.

We continued our little stroll while we talked about random things. The sun was shining, giving the fall air a little warmth. Trees were beginning to shed their leaves, turning the ground into different shades of red and orange.

"Don't look now, but Jace is walking over here with his girlfriend," I whispered to Jordan.

He looked ahead of us where Jace was holding Aline's hand, slightly smiling at her. A twinge of jealously fled through me. Jordan sensed this and turned to me.

"Follow my lead, okay?"

I nodded, not quite understanding what he was doing. He pulled me closer to his side, and whispered, "Smile and laugh."

He began to chuckle at me, and I laughed with him. His green eyes darted to the passing couple, and we stopped.

"Hey, Clary," Jace said slowly.

"Oh, hey, Jace," I responded quickly.

There was an awkward silence as Jace's eyes darted from me to Jordan. He looked confused and somewhat hurt.

"Uhm, Clare," Jordan said, using the nickname he gave me years ago, "aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh. Jord, this is Jace. His dorm is right across from mine. Jace, this is Jordan," I introduced them.

Jordan let go of my waist to shake Jace's hand. Jordan flashed a dazzling smile, as did Jace. My heart fluttered.

"This is Aline." Jace introduced us to the black-haired girl standing next to him.

She smiled at us, but didn't speak. It was her turn to look questionably at Jordan and I.

"Well. Nice meeting you guys, but Clare and I have to head back," Jordan said.

I nodded in agreement, looking at Jace. He just smiled. "Alright. See you around."

Then, we parted ways.

Once Jace and Aline were out of earshot, I stopped Jordan. "How did you know?"

"Know what? That you're completely crushing on that guy? Clare-bear, I'm your best friend. I know these things," he said softly.

"What do I do? He obviously likes Aline," I muttered, looking at the ground.

"Don't be so sure," was all he said as he pulled me in for a hug.

I hugged him back, letting my best friend's warmth fill me.

(•.•)(•.•)(•.•)

_Three Weeks Later..._

Jace hasn't talked to me in weeks.

Well, we smile at each other in that odd, neighborly way. But, nothing else.

And it's kind of hurting me.

Now, I was currently getting ready for the Halloween dance, for which I was dressing up as an angel.

Izzy had bought my outfit, so I had no idea what to expect. Right now, she was doing my hair and makeup.

"Aaaand, done!" I was turned away from the mirror, because I apparently couldn't see myself until I had the full costume on.

Izzy then shoved a white ball of cloth at me. "Here, put this on," she said.

I did as she asked, and threw the extremely short dress on. Okay, it wasn't terribly short. It was just shorter for me.

"Alright. I guess you can see now," Izzy stepped away from the mirror to reveal, well, an angel.

I was dressed in a tight-fitting white dress that stopped mid thigh. My hair was curled to perfection, framing my now make up covered face. My eyes were surrounded by shimmering white eyeshadow, along with mascara and eyeliner.

I looked beautiful.

"Okay, now put these on," Izzy said as she held up a pair of high heels. I opened my mouth the protest, but she beat me. "Don't even protest."

I sighed but obliged to my friend.

(•.•)(•.•)(•.•)

**Jace POV**

Aline is nothing to me.

She is just helping me get Clary jealous. She told me that Clary wouldn't be able to resist me if she was jealous.

Aline isn't even interested in me at all. In fact, she's not even interested in guys...

The loud music pounded around me, and Aline was nowhere to be found. I stood casually leaning against the wall of the gym, across from the door.

The doors suddenly opened, and it's as if time had stopped. Standing in doorway was Isabelle, but an angel stood next to her.

Clary. She looked beautiful. But she looked gorgeous every time I saw her. Tonight though, with her angel costume, she looked even more beautiful than usual.

I pretty much darted across across the gym. I had to dance with her. I had to talk to her. I'd felt like a jerk for three weeks because we hadn't even spoke a word.

I was in front of her now, and as if fate were finally helping me out, a slow song came on.

I held out my hand to Clary. She looked up at me in surprise. Her green eyes were twinkling.

"May I have this dance?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied, smiling. Clary took my hand, and I led her to the middle f the dance floor.

I placed my hands on her waist, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. We moved slowly to the beat, mainly just staring at each other.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Clary gave me a confused look, so I continued. "That I haven't talked to you in weeks. Aline said-"

Clary cut me off. "Wait. I shouldn't be dancing with you. You should be dancing with your girlfriend."

She began to pull away, so I pulled her closer to me. "I'm not dating her. I never was. I just wanted to get someone jealous."

"Oh," she breathed out. Was it me, or did she sound relieved?

"You look beautiful tonight, Clary," I told her, softly.

She looked up at me, and I noticed a strand of hair that was falling in front of her eyes. I moved my hand to tuck it behind her ear. I let my hand trail slowly down her cheek. Then, both of us started moving closer together.

I'm pretty sure we both closed our eyes at the same time, knowing we were going to kiss. Our faces were centimeters apart from each other. My lips finally skimmed hers. But before I could actually kiss her, the DJ's loud voice made us both jump back.

I smiled sheepishly at her, running a hand through my hair. Clary smiled back, but began playing with her fingers.

Should I kiss her? I mean, we were so close. Should I finish what we started?

Before I could even answer my own thoughts, Clary had stepped right in front of me. She locked eyes with me.

Suddenly she grabbed my shirt, and pulled me down to her face. She kissed my lips fiercely for three seconds. Then, she let me go.

Smiling, she whispered, "Bye." And left.

**A/N: Woah.**

**How about** **that for some Clace?**

**Okay. You won't believe how sorry I am. I wanted to update last week, but I was extremely busy. So busy, that I haven't been getting ANY sleep. Like, really. People at school kept telling me how pale I looked.**

**SOOO. Please check out The Blog of Magnus Bane! :) It's gonna be extremely random and cute and weird.**

**REVIEW! :)**

**Oh. Best pick up line:**

**If you were a potato, you'd be a good potato.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

**Disclaimer: All I own is the plot! :)**

* * *

**Clary POV**

I just kissed Jace.

Should I be happy? Should I be screaming with joy? Should I be worried he doesn't feel the same way? Yeah, that's the winner. Time to worry. Big time.

I don't know what happened. I just had a sudden burst of confidence that led me to kiss him. I'm not gonna say I didn't like itl; that would be a huge lie. I just want to know how he felt. Did he feel that burst of electricity? That warmth? The wonderful feeling of happiness that I felt?

Maybe I should go back in. I had fled the gym, mainly to get away from questions, but now... Now I needed to know.

"Clarissa!"

I turned toward the sound of my name. Oh, no.

"Mom? Dad?"

My mother hopped out of the SUV, ran over to me and gave me a huge hug. She lovingly rubbed my back, and kissed my hair.

"Sweetie, we need you to come home. Just for the weekend. Your father has a business party that he needs you to be at," she tells me.

"So, you're taking me now?" I asked her, still in a daze.

"Of course. You need to look nice for this party. We're going to take all day to get you ready," she continues. My mother looked at my outfit now. "This dress is darling."

"Uh, thanks," I say. "But why did you come now?"

"I'll explain in the car, okay? Come on, let's get home." My mom takes my arm and practically drags me to the SUV.

I slam the door shut, quickly putting my seatbelt around me. I looked out the window just in time to see Jace standing near the doors of the gym. He looked around for a minute, then his eyes landed on my car. Then, they met mine. He looked at me very confused, so I shrugged, showing that I didn't know what was going on. Jace smiled at me, winking. I smiled back, and Jace mouthed the words 'text me.' I nodded, and he headed back inside.

I smiled inwardly as my dad started the car - finally - and pulled away from the school.

It was when we got on the freeway that I remembered my phone was still in my dorm.

...

...

...

The next day, I slept until ten, only to be woken up by my mother. She dragged me out of bed, and told me to wash up.

I did as she asked. I really wasn't in the mood to argue this morning.

After I took my shower, put on some shorts and a tank top, I was ushered to my vanity. Yes, I have a vanity. It wasn't my choice.

A woman - introduced to me as my stylist - came in and began a dreadful day of makeovers.

...

...

...

_8PM that night..._

I sat by myself at a table in the ballroom my father had rented for his business party. I stirred the straw in my glass of water slowly with my free hand; my other hand was under my chin, propping my head up.

I was so bored.

I heard a cough behind me. Then, a voice said, "May I have this dance?"

But I knew that voice all too well. It couldn't be, right?

I turned around in my chair. "Jace? What are you doing here?"

He laughed. "I think our dad's are business partners."

"Oh." Now that he's here, I feel really awkward. I don't feel that confidence I felt yesterday.

"You never texted me back," Jace said.

"I kind of left my phone in my room..." I tell him, trailing off.

Jace laughed again: a sound I could get used to. His expression suddenly turned serious. "You left before..."

"Before what?"

"I could do this." Jace leaned down to me, and kissed my lips. It was a passionate kiss, not full of lust, but full of...love?

When he pulled away, he had a huge grin on his face. His breathing had quickened a bit, but his eyes were full of happiness.

"Now would you like to dance?" He held his hand out once more, and this time, I took it without hesitation.

Jace led me to the dance floor where multiple other couples were slowly dancing. Some were laughing and talking, others were just enjoying being in the arms of their partner.

Jace placed his hands on my waist, just above my hips. I placed my arms around his neck. I smiled at him, and her smiled back.

"Hmm. This seems familiar," he whispered, smirking.

I laughed, and Jace pulled me closer to him. My heart fluttered at the closeness, and my face felt hot. At least the lighting in here is pretty bad.

My head rested on his chest, where I could hear the slow, rhythmic beats of his heart. His rested his chin on top of my head. I smiled, mainly to myself.

"Clary?" Jace whispered to me. The music around us seemed distant, as if it were just background noise for us. For our moment.

"Hmm?" I closed my eyes, only concentrating swaying back and forth.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

I pulled back, looking at Jace. He was smiling sheepishly at me, but held my gaze. I smiled at him - which I seem to be doing more and more - before pecking his lips.

"I take that as a maybe?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Jace. I'll be your girlfriend."

He leaned down, kissing me for a good ten seconds, before a cough interrupted us. We pulled apart, and looked over to see my mother, staring at us.

"Hey, mom," I said, trying to be nonchalant. Guess it didn't really work.

"Hello, honey. Hello, Jonathan," she greeted.

"Hello, Mrs. Fray," Jace replied politely.

"So, is there something you'd like to tell me, Clary?" she pushed.

"Uhm. Mom, Jace and I are dating," I told her cautiously.

My mom looked from me to Jace a couple of times before a grin broke out on her face. "How cute! You two have fun!" With that, she left, talking to various guests.

"Well, that was awkward," I said to Jace.

"At least we're official now," he said, grabbing my hand, twining our fingers together.

We started to dance again in the comfort of each other's arms.

...

...

...

**Jace POV**

The next day, I headed back to campus without Clary. Her mom wanted to spend more time with her.

I was finally extremely happy. I had an amazing girlfriend that I didn't want to lose. I don't know why, but from the moment I saw her, I knew she was different. I knew we had a connection.

I parked my car in the lot of the dorms. I decided to go to Alec and Simon's room they shared.

I knocked on their door, and Simon answered. "Hey, Jace. Why do you look so happy?"

I walked into the room. "Well..."

"Is it about Aline? Oh, gosh. Please tell me you didn't-"

"Ew! No. Me and Aline were never dating. It was just an act to get my girlfriend jealous," I explained.

"Wait. Girlfriend?" Alec, who was laying on his bed, asked.

"Yup. Clary and I are officially together," I sighed, feeling a bit like a girl. Oh, well.

"Woah. Congrats, Jace," Simon and Alec said.

"I don't know why, but, I feel like this relationship will last. Like, we have something genuine," I tell them, sitting on Simon's bed.

"Wow. You really like her, huh?" Alec piped in.

"Yeah, I-"

I was interrupted by a knock on the door. Simon got up from his place next to me, and went to the door. He opened it, but was immediately shoved out of the way.

"Where's Jace?!"

I looked over to see Aline glaring at me. "Uhm, hi. What's up?"

"What's up? I'll tell you what's up! I-"

"The ceiling is up," Simon interrupted.

"So is the sky," Alec added.

"The sun is, too," I mentioned.

"Shut up! Jace, what's this I hear about you and Clary dating?" Aline demanded.

"Woah, how'd you find out already?" I questioned her. I just got back minutes ago.

"I was eavesdropping through the door," she said. Well, honesty is the best policy. "Who cares? Jace, I thought we were dating?"

Woah, now. "No. We never were. You were just helping me get Clary. Besides, you told me you swing for the other team."

"I lied. And, I thought you were trying to get me jealous!"

Ugh. "Wow."

"Jace. I thought we had something," she whined.

"Sorry, Aline. I don't like you like that. Thanks for helping. Kinda," I told her.

"Fine! We are so over, Lightwood!" With that, she stormed out of the dorm, slamming the door shut as she left.

"Well, alright then," Simon said.

Too. Much. Drama.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo. They be together.**

**And Aline be cray-cray.**

**Goooood times. Good times.**

**Thanks for all of your concern of my well-being. School is out now, and I've been sleeping till noon everyday. I feel very accomplished. **

**And, just saying: Whoever threatened to release their llamas on me, please don't. I enjoy llamas. I don't want them to harm me. Like, you know that llama Tina in Napoleon Dynamite? Yeah, she's a cool llama. Or is that an alpaca?**

**She was only referred to as a 'fat lard' so...**

**QUESTION TIME: Is it normal for people to continuously smell and play with your hair? Like, my boyfriend, my BGF, and all these other people keep doing it.**

**Just wondering if it's normal..**

**PLEASE REVIEW! : )**

**-THG**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TMI.**

**Clary POV**

_Knock. Knock. Knock_.

I lifted my head from the pillow to yell, "Come in!"

I had just gotten back from my parents' house a few hours earlier. It was around eight p.m. when I finally got to my dorm. I was too tired to even go say anything to Jace.

"Hey, sleepyhead," I heard a voice whisper, followed by the sound of a door clicking shut. Jace.

"Mmm," I moaned. I really am tired.

"Mmm? Well, hello to you, too," he said sarcastically.

I didn't move, I only buried my face into my pillow more. I heard Jace sigh, but move to the corner of my bed and sit down. He starts to bounce, making the bed shake.

I was fully awake now, but he didn't need to know that.

"Clary," Jace whined once he stopped bouncing. There was a moment of complete silence, until he spoke again, mischief in his voice. "Hmm. I guess I'll have to try something else to get you up."

Jace started to stroke my leg with the tips of his fingers, making me shiver. Darn, I completely forgot to put a blanket over me.

His fingers slowly trailed up my leg, finally resting on my hip. Right where my shirt had rode up, exposing my skin.

My skin was burning like fire under his palm, and I have to admit, it was a good feeling.

I felt him shift on the bed, only to remove the pillow from under my head. I turned slightly, opening my eyes a little, to see Jace's beautiful face hovering over me. His eyes bore into mine, a playful glint in them.

He slowly moved toward my face, closing his eyes in the process. I closed my eyes anticipating his lips. I could feel his breath on my face, and the wonderful smell of him.

Then, he left.

He just stood up, and left. Had the decency to say, "Later, Clary," in the process.

I don't think so.

I hopped out of my bed, and quickly walked across the hall to his room. I knocked on his door, and crossed my arms over my chest.

The door opened, revealing my smirking boyfriend. "Hey, Clary. I'm glad you're awake because I-"

I cut him off by kissing him. He went still for a second, but immediately wrapped his arms around my waist. I wrapped my own around his neck. Our lips moved in sync, and fireworks went off around us.

We pulled away, and I looked him in the eye. "Don't do that again."

He pecked my lips. "No promises," he whispered.

I untangled myself from him. "Well, I'm gonna go to sleep now. We have school in the morning," I told him, turning back to my room.

Jace reached out, grabbing my arm. He gently pulled me back to him.

Placing his hands on my hips once more, he whispered, "I'm not done with you yet."

I looked up at him, and his face held a small smile. I leaned up and kissed Jace again. Just as the kiss was being deepened, someone cleared their throat.

Jace and I broke apart, but he didn't let go of me. The person who interrupted us was Alec. He had a very amused look on his face.

"Hey, guys," he said.

"Go away, Alec," Jace told him.

"No thanks. I need to talk to you, Jace. Like, now," Alec said, very seriously.

"Alec, I'm kind of busy right now," Jace said, gritting his teeth a little.

Before they could start arguing, I spoke up. "Actually, I will just go to bed. I'm really tired, so I'll see you in the morning."

I kissed Jace again. He released me from his affectionate grip.

"But Clary-"

"Goodnight, Jace," I interrupted, smiling at him. "Goodnight, Alec."

Alec waved at me with a small smile. Jace was pouting, but he could live.

I closed my door behind me, but not before hearing Alec say, "Man, you are so whipped."

...

**Jace POV**

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Alec's face became serious. "Aline's been spreading rumors."

"What kind of rumors?" I asked, feeling tired.

"She's been telling people that you and her did the dirty. And that Clary is just a phase," he told me.

"You know that I haven't and will never do anything like that with Aline," I told him. "And Clary isn't a phase."

"Well, I hope Clary knows that. School's gonna be interesting tomorrow."

He's got that right.

...

**A/N: Alright, I'm sorry.**

**Okay. I know this is short, and it's been forever. And I'm sorry about that. I really am.**

**It's short cause I wanted to put something out here, but I promise it'll get better. : )**

**Hope you enjoyed that fluff. **

**-THG**


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